Graffiti artist uses Fat Albert to prod Bill Cosby over allegations
Hey, hey, hey... Fat Albert has something to say about the allegations against his creator
Name: FL00D
Handle: @floodclub
Thirty-five women, one empty chair. It's a powerful image, created for New York magazine's July 27 cover story. Each of the women pictured accuse Bill Cosby of sexual assault; the vacant seat invites the silent to come forward. And the piece has re-opened a conversation about rape culture, a dialogue that's happening online, in the media — and in the street.
New York magazine writer Matt Zoller Seitz tweeted this graffiti Friday afternoon:
The artist behind that Fat Albert paste is FL00D. Since January, he and and the cartoon Cosby kids — including Mushmouth and Dumb Donald — have been appearing around the Lower East Side.
Cosby created the characters and produced the '70s cartoon they appeared in; he even voiced Fat Albert himself. That's why, the artist says, they make the perfect whistle blowers. Mr. Cosby has repeatedly denied the allegations, and none of them have been proven in court.
FL00D sent a written statement to arts news website Hyperallergic earlier this year, explaining the project's origin.
"It visually makes sense," the artist wrote. "I adore Fat Albert. Albert is Bill's Jiminy Cricket, it's his conscience, it's also Bill's creation as well as a character voiced by him... himself turning on himself. Himself telling himself to admit it to himself!"
Follow FL00D's Instagram and you'll see the progression of the series, alongside the artist's other work, most of it also tackling social issues.
In late March the artist shared hopes to invade Cosby's home town.
"I plan on bringing this campaign to Philadelphia," FL00D told the New York Observer, "as well as drawing all the Fat Albert characters in many ways protesting 'n' prodding their creator to just admit it."
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